Prophecies of Jesus-13

1. A messenger would prepare the way for Messiah.

   
   

   Old Testament Scripture. Isa. 40:3-5

   
   

   New Testament Fulfillment. Luke 3:3-6

   
   

Isa. 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

A voice (probably Isaiah’s, different from the voice in Isa. 40:6) called out to the people to prepare the way for the Lord (Isa. 40:3) and His glory (Isa. 40:5).

The voice...

קל / קול

qôl

Definition:

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

2) lightness, frivolity

Part of Speech: noun masculine

True prophets were “voices,” for their messages were from God.

of him (Isaiah's) that crieth...

קרא

qârâ'

Definition:

1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound

1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)

1a3) to proclaim

1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read

1a5) to summon, invite, call for, call and commission, appoint, call and endow

1a6) to call, name, give name to, call by

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to call oneself

1b2) to be called, be proclaimed, be read aloud, be summoned, be named

1c) (Pual) to be called, be named, be called out, be chosen

Part of Speech: verb

in the wilderness,...

מדבּר

midbâr

Definition:

1) wilderness

1a) pasture

1b) uninhabited land, wilderness

1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)

1d) wilderness (figuratively)

2) mouth

2a) mouth (as organ of speech)

Part of Speech: noun masculine

Prepare...

פּנה

pânâh

Definition:

1) to turn

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn toward or from or away

1a2) to turn and do

1a3) to turn, decline (of day)

1a4) to turn toward, approach (of evening)

1a5) to turn and look, look, look back or at or after or for

1b) (Piel) to turn away, put out of the way, make clear, clear away

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to turn

1c2) to make a turn, show signs of turning, turn back

1d) (Hophal) to be turned back

Part of Speech: verb

They were calling the nation to get back into a proper relationship with Him (God).

ye (nation) the way...

דּרך

derek

Definition:

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (figuratively)

1f) of moral character (figuratively)

Part of Speech: noun masculine

of the Lord (Father),...

יהוה

yehôvâh

Definition:

Jehovah = “the existing One”

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of my Lord

Part of Speech: noun proper deity

make straight...

ישׁר

yâshar

Definition:

1) to be right, be straight, be level, be upright, be just, be lawful, be smooth

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go straight

1a2) to be pleasing, be agreeable, be right (figuratively)

1a3) to be straightforward, be upright

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to make right, make smooth, make straight

1b2) to lead, direct, lead straight along

1b3) to esteem right, approve

1c) (Pual) to be made level, be laid smoothly out

1d) (Hiphil) to make straight, look straight

Part of Speech: verb

in the desert...

ערבה

‛ărâbâh

Definition:

1) desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness

Part of Speech: noun feminine

a highway...

מסלּה

mesillâh

Definition:

1) highway, raised way, public road

Part of Speech: noun feminine

However, here in Isaiah the entire nation was in a spiritual wilderness, and each Israelite needed to get ready spiritually for the appearing of the Lord (Jesus).

for our God...

אלהים

'ĕlôhı̂ym

Definition:

1) (plural)

1a) rulers, judges

1b) divine ones

1c) angels

1d) gods

2) (plural intensive - singular meaning)

2a) god, goddess

2b) godlike one

2c) works or special possessions of God

2d) the (true) God

2e) God

Part of Speech: noun masculine plural

Each Gospel writer applied Isa. 40:3 to John the Baptist (Mat. 3:1-4; Mark 1:1-4; Luke 1:76-78; John 1:23). John was a desert prophet who prepared the way for Jesus Christ, and who in the wilderness made a highway for Him (cf. Mat. 3:3).

Isa. 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

Raising the valleys and lowering the mountains refer in hyperbole to workmen leveling or smoothing out the roads on which a dignitary would travel when he came to visit an area. Today an equivalent is, “roll out the red carpet.” In Isaiah’s day he was calling Israel to be “smoothed out” so that the Lord could come to the nation and rule. This was emphasized by all the prophets - ethically the nation must be righteous.

Isa. 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Eventually the nation will be “smoothed out” spiritually when the glory of the Lord is revealed (Isa. 40:5). Isaiah was thinking of the millennial kingdom when the Lord will be revealed in His glory, that is, when His unique splendor will be evident everywhere. As Isaiah wrote elsewhere, the Messiah would suffer and would also appear in glory. However, apparently he was not aware of the time interval that would elapse between these two aspects. Though the disciples saw Jesus’ glory (John 1:14), all mankind has not yet seen it, but will be seen in the Millennium. This coming glory is certain for the… Lord has spoken it (cf. Isa. 1:20; 58:14). The word of the Lord is sure and cannot be broken.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Luke 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

John’s message was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John’s baptism was associated with repentance, that is, it outwardly pictured an inner change of heart. The word “for” (eis) refers back to the whole “baptism of repentance.” The baptism did not save anyone, as is clear from what follows (Luke 3:7-14). Repentance was “unto” (lit. rendering of eis; cf. see Acts 2:38) or resulted in sins forgiven. Since John’s function was to be Christ’s forerunner, so also his baptism prefigured a different baptism (Luke 3:16). Luke noted that John’s baptizing work was in the country around (perichōron) the Jordan. Because John was visibly taking on himself the role of Elijah, it is possible that he picked this area on the lower Jordan because that was where Elijah spent his last days (cf. 2Kgs. 2:1-13). Luke quoted from Isa. 40:3-5 concerning John’s ministry.

Luke 3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Isaiah was writing of God’s smoothing the way for the return of the exiles from Babylon to Judah. But all three Synoptic Gospel writers applied Isaiah’s words to John the Baptist.

Luke 3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

Isaiah wrote, “A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert, prepare the way for the Lord.’” But Matthew, Mark, and Luke each wrote, A voice of one calling in the desert - the words “in the desert” going with the “voice” rather than with the preparing of the way. Why? Because they quoted from the Septuagint. Of course both are true - the voice (of John the Baptist) was in the desert, and the desert was to be smoothed.

When a king traveled the desert, workmen preceded him to clear debris and smooth out the roads to make his trip easier. In Luke the leveling of the land was a figurative expression denoting that the way of the Messiah would be made smooth because through John a large number of people were ready to receive Jesus’ message (cf. Luke 1:17).

Luke 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God

Luke’s emphasis on the universal availability of the gospel are his words in Luke 3:6, And all mankind will see God’s salvation.